The present invention relates to storage systems for vehicles, particularly to hidden storage for vehicles having side panels, while maintaining the external appearance thereof, and more particularly to hidden storage for vans, utility and sports utility vehicles without substantially altering the external appearance of the vehicle.
Various types of storage/utility systems have been utilized in various types of vehicles, primarily pickups, trucks, and trailers for transporting and/or storing tools, materials, etc. Recently a hidden storage/utility system has been developed wherein the external appearance of the vehicle has not been changed, and the carrying capacity has not been significantly reduced. This hidden storage/utility system is described and claimed in above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,000. Also, copending application Ser. No. 08/896,392 , filed Jul. 18, 1997 entitled Hidden Storage/Utility System and Fabrication Thereof, describes and claims modifications of the hidden storage arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,000. Fabrication of the hidden storage/utility system may be carried out, for example, as described and claimed in above-referenced copending application Ser. No. 08/685,678.
The hidden storage/utility system basically involved providing storage adjacent the wheel well area along part or the entire length of the bed, and providing, for example, the fender/side panel of the bed with a hinge and lock/latch arrangement, whereby the fender/side panel can be raised to expose the storage area, or closed and latched to conceal the storage area. In the closed position the external appearance is substantially the same as an identical vehicle without the hidden storage capability. Thus, by use of the hidden storage/utility system, the vehicle can be parked in areas where theft would likely occur from conventional storage/utility systems.
Like pickups, trucks and trailers, there is small to no hidden storage in vans, utility vehicles, and sports utility vehicles. Any hidden storage in such vehicles is in the interior thereof and access to the interior provides access to the hidden storage areas. Thus, theft from such vehicles is carried out by merely obtaining access to the interior thereof. To prevent potential theft, valuables must be removed from the vehicle and/or expensive alarm systems must be added. Thus, there has been a need for safe, readily accessible hidden storage in vans and utility/sports vehicles.
This need for hidden storage for such vehicles has been resolved by the present invention which involves an extension of the hidden storage/utility system of the above-referenced patent by applying the principles of that hidden storage system to vans, utility vehicles and sports utility vehicles, wherein side panel sections of the vehicle are hinged and provided with storage areas thereunder which are accessible upon raising (or lowering) the hinged side panel sections. In addition to the interior of the van, utility and/or sports utility vehicles, which provide storage but the storage is readily accessible to theft, the present invention provides hidden storage (a trunk) for such vehicles with minimum altering of the external appearance of the side panels of the vehicle, and which is readily accessible to the owner but not readily accessible to theft. The hidden storage system of this invention can be fabricated via a conversion method, a modular assembly method, or an assembly line method.